{"product_id":"2026200012829-secondhand-the-riddle-of-father-hackett-a-life-in-ireland-and-australia-signed","title":"The Riddle Of Father Hackett: A Life In Ireland And Australia (SIGNED)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Signed with inscription\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFew lives bridge two worlds as dramatically as that of Father John Hackett, the enigmatic Irish-born priest whose remarkable journey from the emerald shores of Ireland to the sun-scorched frontier of colonial Australia forms the heart of Brenda Niall's captivating biography. The Riddle of Father Hackett chronicles the life of a man who defied easy categorisation — a cleric, an intellectual, and an institution-builder whose influence stretched across continents and decades, leaving an indelible mark on Australian Catholic life and education.\n\nNiall, one of Australia's most distinguished biographers, brings her characteristic precision and narrative elegance to this absorbing life study, weaving together archival research and vivid historical reconstruction to illuminate both a singular personality and the broader forces of faith, empire, and identity that shaped him. The riddle of the title is no mere rhetorical flourish — Hackett remains a figure of genuine complexity, and Niall resists the temptation of hagiography, presenting instead a fully human portrait shadowed by ambiguity. For readers drawn to the intersection of Irish diaspora history, Australian colonial society, and the Catholic Church's extraordinary reach into the New World, this biography poses a question that lingers long after the final page: how much of any life can truly be known?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49203263537371,"sku":"2026200012829-SECONDHAND","price":20.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/0661787a-ceb1-4eca-ba1d-bf037ba959a4.png?v=1788146811","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200012829-secondhand-the-riddle-of-father-hackett-a-life-in-ireland-and-australia-signed","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}